Questions? Answers? I am often asked questions about locomotives, rules, starting and braking trains, and technical questions about locomotives. Much of the requested information is available to the public.

A real good place to start for signals, rules, and train operations (such as starting, stopping, and running) is the BNSF Railroad website (BNSF.com). Go to the site and follow the links to "Team BNSF" and Rulebooks. There you will find a signal sheet, the BNSF Air Brake and Train Handling rulebook, the BNSF System Special Instructions, and the main rulebook GCOR (General Code of Operating Rules). These publications should answer many of your questions. In addition to these rulebooks are the Division Timetables & Special Instructions for all the BNSF system and detailed maps of the BNSF.

For technical questions about locomotive traction. air brakes, dynamic brakes, grades, curves and other railroad engineering items see:

Management of Train Operations and Train Handling by The Air Brake Association

and the railroad sections of:

Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers by Baumeister, Avallone, Baumeister. Published by McGraw Hill and found in many libraries.

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Created 06-06-2001
Updated 12-22-2007